Thailnd's Pita the only PM candidate for parliamentary vote

Opposition party leader Pita Limjaroenrat was nominated as only the candidate for Thailand's prime minister after a joint session of both the Senate and House of Representatives was convened on Thursday.

Pita, who led his Move Forward party and its ally to win a majority of the parliamentary seats in the May 14 election, faces a big challenge in securing the required backing of more than half of a 750-member bicameral parliament.

Pita has had a bumpy ride and was dealt a major blow on the eve of Thursday's vote when two legal complaints against him gained momentum, prompting hundreds of demonstrators gathering in Bangkok to show their support for Pita.

His alliance controls 312 seats, but to get the required 376 votes, he is banking on support from some of the 250 members of the Senate.

Despite losing in the May 14 election, the ruling conservative coalition still controls enough seats to block Pita's bid to become the prime minister.

If Pita fails, his party's alliance must decide whether to back him again in another vote, slated for next week, or put forward another candidate, testing its cohesion as it seeks to form the next government.

(Reuters)